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PI SCCOPLET... MEHLMAN VOGEL TO LAUNCH HEALTH POLICY FIRM: Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti is bringing on Julie Barnes of the Bipartisan Policy Center to serve as executive director of a new MVC-backed health policy firm, Breakaway Policy Strategies. MVC partners are establishing a separate policy firm in early 2013. Dean Rosen will serve as president and CEO, while continuing as a MVC partner. The new entity will work with the lobby shop's clients, but also has plans to grow beyond that and will have further staffing announcements in late January, according to Alex Vogel.

PI SCOOPLET … GEPHARDT TO LOBBY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN:Gephardt Government Affairs has been hired by the Human Rights Campaign to lobby Congress to end the taxation of benefits provided for domestic partners under employee health plans, among other LGBT issues. Gephardt’s Rob Epplin, former legislative director to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), will be lobbying on behalf of the group.

Allison Herwitt, HRC’s legislative director, said in a statement, “Working with Rob Epplin at Gephardt Government Affairs — whose experience includes congressional passage of the 2009 Hate Crimes bill, the 2010 repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and the overturn of the HIV travel ban — will help build on HRC’s outreach to Republican lawmakers and continue to show that issues of equality should not have partisan boundaries.”

WATCH OBAMA’S CONNECTICUT SPEECH (AND MAYBE MAKE A CAMPAIGN DONATION): Last night, top Obama adviser David Axelrod blasted on at email from the Obama for America campaign, directing readers to view a video of the president’s speech Sunday about the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. “As we reflect on the lives lost last week, we must also, as the president urged, consider how each of us can play a part in making our country worthy of the memory of those little children,” Axelrod wrote.

Upon clicking a link to the video, the page featured a pair of campaign donation buttons in addition to the video — one at top simply saying “DONATE,” while another along the right side displayed the Obama campaign logo and read “QUICK DONATE $5.” See here: http://bit.ly/V59CYs

While Obama, of course, is no longer running for office, his campaign committee may still raise and spend money for political purposes.

INOUYE PASSING COULD CREATE OPENING FOR FEINSTEIN: K Streeters are gaming out what the passing of veteran Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) could mean for Senate committee slots. In one scenario, Sen. Patrick Leahy could move over to lead the Appropriations Committee, opening a slot for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on the Judiciary panel. The move would give Feinstein a "good perch" to push the assault rifle ban legislation she has promised to reintroduce, according to one PI tipster. A spokesman for Leahy's office said in an email that "to my knowledge he will not be commenting on this today."

A thanks-filled Tuesday to you, PI faithful, as today is the 392nd anniversary of the good ship Mayflower landing on the shores of Plymouth, Mass., helping spark the rapid settlement of the East Coast — and leading at least half of all of today’s schoolchildren to proudly boast every Thanksgiving that they’re a real, live descendant of a Mayflower passenger.

And without further ado, PI presents you with the three finalists of our holiday contest, in which we asked readers to send us photos of their decked-to-the-halls offices here in D.C. Check out these wild holiday creations — from beery Christmas trees to scary snowflakes — then vote by sending an email (your name will not be used) with your top choice to dlevinthal@politico.com / apalmer@politico.com. Put “holiday contest” in the subject line:

The organization with the most votes by 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21, will receive this highly excellent U.S. Capitol ornament for its tree next year — http://bit.ly/Tvnf15 — and a big-time shout-out in PI’s final edition of the year this Friday before we go on break ourselves.

Best of luck, start your voting, and now, back to the day’s top influence industry news …

NEGROPONTE TO CHAIR ALLIANCE: John Negroponte is joining the Intelligence and National Security Alliance as the new chairman of its board of directors. The former director of National Intelligence is taking over for Fran Townsend, former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush.

DEB FISCHER FORMS LEADERSHIP PAC: She hasn’t yet joined the U.S. Senate, but Sen.-elect Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) has formed a leadership political action committee, dubbing it the Nebraska Sandhills PAC. With it, Fischer may raise and spend money separate and apart from her campaign committee, using it for various political purposes and to make donations to political brethren. Lisa Lisker will serve as treasurer.

OLSON ADVOCACY SIGNS TWO: Olson Advocacy Group has signed mortgage company Wingspan Portfolio Advisors and Community Home Lenders Association. The firm's Scott Olson will lobby on "issues affecting mortgage servicing" for both clients, according to recent filings.

WATTERS RE-CELEBRATING 40: Robb Watters of The Madison Group is celebrating the big 4-0, again. The veteran lobbyist was spotted by a PI tipster "banging around the halls" even after recently suffering a concussion.

DODD GETS $2.4 MILLION PAYDAY AT MOVIE GROUP: CEO Update is reporting that the Motion Picture Association of America paid former Sen. Chris Dodd more than $2.4 million in 2011. The first disclosure only includes nine-and-a-half months on the job. The big salary is 80 percent higher than the earnings of former MPAA head Dan Glickman, according to CEO Update. Glickman never cracked the $1.4 million ceiling.

AUDIO … PI ON THE AIRWAVES: Dave details potential gun control legislation and the gun lobby’s influence with Susan Rose and John Zach on WBEN-AM 930 in Buffalo, N.Y. Listen in: http://bit.ly/Zg6gGe

ELSEWHERE IN THE INFLUENCE WORLD:

• Law professors Lucian A. Bebchuk and Robert Jackson Jr. urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to require public companies to disclose their political spending. http://nyti.ms/RzZbgE

• The Center to Protect Patient Rights, which has links to the Koch brothers, gave nearly $15 million in 2011 to groups that spent heavily on ads this cycle, reports Viveca Novak of the Center for Responsive Politics. http://bit.ly/U8ff8e

• TV ad spending for state Supreme Court elections reached a record breaking $29.7 million year, according to Justice at Stake. http://bit.ly/V2kzFJ

• Nine news outlets have sent a letter to the MittRomney campaign contesting expenses billed to their organization, reports McKay Coppins of BuzzFeed. http://bit.ly/WjVFod

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